“Krone” reporter Robert Fröwein walks through the city and talks to people in Vienna about their experiences, their thoughts, their worries, their fears. Everyday stories straight from the heart of Vienna.
Don’t think that everything in our editorial offices always runs in perfect harmony. In a living democracy, the verbal sword is often brandished and sometimes you can’t get away without minor injuries. For example, lunch in the home canteen can turn into a real war of words. The shooting is particularly spicy on Wednesdays, when a pork sausage usually ends up on the table of culinary gourmets. Prepared with love by chefs Peter and Andi and just as happily devoured by hungry consumers. But not all pork sausages are the same and entire encyclopedias could now be written about the ‘how’ of eating them.
Do you need a potato salad with red onions or a mayonnaise-potato salad? Is it even allowed to serve ketchup with it or is that an absolute no-go? Does it really always have to be fries, or could a portion of rice also work? I have to show particularly strong nerves when my Mühlviertel colleague from the digital department comes to the table. He usually enjoys his schnitzel with ketchup and cranberry jam. But not strictly separated, but randomly mixed together. My disgusted look is piercing, my colleague’s answer is always the same: “What is your problem? Everything comes together in the stomach, right?” An undignified manslaughter argument, according to the logic of which you could cross a porridge with a bacon sandwich early in the morning. So it will be.
The discussion about the real schnitzel that should be eaten correctly is at least as heated in Vienna as the integration debates or the Ballesterian supremacy between Hütteldorf and Favoriten. The fact that Integration Minister Susanne Raab decidedly “didn’t talk about the schnitzel” in the recently emerged key culture debate has nothing to do with this. When it comes to breaded pork, the will of the people is undoubtedly stronger than that of their elected representatives. The original Wiener Schnitzel is of course made from veal and the basic recipe was probably once imported to us from Italy by Field Marshal Radetzky. There is often debate about whether it should be fried in oil, clarified butter or lard and prepared in a pan or deep fryer. You see – the Wiener Schnitzel is in many ways a science unto itself.
There are probably dozens of different answers to the question of how to eat it faithfully. Opinions are already divided in my circle of family, friends and acquaintances. Opinions vary from ‘please add a big bottle of ketchup’ to ‘if you eat pea rice with it, you will be disinherited’. It will be really exciting when the individual preferences of the federal state come into play. Rumor has it that one or two Styrians like to spray the pumpkin seed oil wildly over the crispy breadcrumbs – guaranteed to leave the Viennese gasping! In 2024, the vegan version will finally be fashionable: if a modern local restaurant really cares about itself, it will offer a version of seitan schnitzel. The breaded milk schnitzel can also be enjoyed with a clear conscience for animal welfare. However you like your schnitzel, please don’t dip it in any sauce. And the cranberry-ketchup crossover doesn’t have to be there either…
Source: Krone
I am George Kunkel, an author working for Today Times Live. I specialize in opinion pieces and cover stories that are both informative and thought-provoking – helping to shape public discourse on key issues. My work is regularly featured across the network’s many platforms, including print media and social media.
